In the past five years (1994-1998), 223 cases of imported malaria were recorded in the Republic (Table 1), 190 of which were from countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and 33 from other countries. It is noteworthy that the number of cases imported from Tadjikistan--a country that borders eight of the Republic's 12 regions (oblasts)--has increased each year (12 in 1994, 69 in 1998). Some 25% of the population of our Republic live in the 67 cities and regions bordering Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. 35.5% of the cases of imported malaria have been registered in Surkhandarin region, which borders Afghanistan and Tadjikistan. Seventy-four (imported) cases of malaria were registered in the Republic in 1998, of which 17 (23%) were children under 14 years of age. Cases were registered in eight regions of the Republic and in the city of Tashkent. Thirty-six patients were detected in Surkhandarin region. Malaria was imported mainly from Tajikistan (69 cases) and Azerbaijan (two cases), as well as from Afghanistan (two cases) and India (one case). The infectious agent of vivax malaria was identified in 94.6% of cases, while in four cases it was found to be that of falciparum malaria. Three cases of falciparum malaria were registered for the first time in Surkhandarin region (imported from Tadjikistan) and one in the city of Tashkent (imported from Afghanistan). A large proportion of malaria cases (53, or 71.6%) were detected in the period from June to September, which is the time of high risk of infection. In the first six months of 1999, 15 cases of imported tertian malaria were recorded in the country as a whole, with six in Tashkent and Surkhandarin region, two in Fergana region and one in Samarkand region. Importation occurred mainly from Tajikistan (12 cases), with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan each accounting for one case. In order to prevent the spread of the infection from neighbouring malarious countries, steps are being taken to make medical personnel more alert to this threat, with the aims of ensuring prompt detection of people suspected of having malaria, improving the quality of laboratory diagnosis and treatment, and strengthening vector control.